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This is a potentially lethal leap of faith where one slip would mean certain death.

This is a bird’s-eye view of illegal BASE jumping: a shadowy world frequented by adrenaline-junkies hell-bent on hi-jacking public buildings in the still of night and, guided only by the neon street lights, parachuting from the highest points.

BASE is an acronym for the sort of places the jumpers use – Building, Antenna, Span and Earth.

Read Span and Earth as bridges and cliffs.

It is a sport where participants live by a simple motto: the bigger the challenge, the bigger the thrill.

And it is thriving in the very heart of Birmingham, right under the noses of the police, a Sunday Mercury investigation has revealed.

Because they have even leaped off a city centre POLICE STATION.

We have gained access to shocking footage of BASE jumpers leaping from some of the city’s most famous landmarks, then landing on roads, traffic islands and even in trees.

In one video, a daredevil is filmed almost skimming the roof of a police patrol car.

The list of buildings “conquered” by BASE jumpers include Suffolk Street’s 328ft Alpha Tower, Beetham Tower, and a 399ft high Holloway Circus skyscraper.

Amazingly, Steelhouse Lane police station is also among their conquests.

Our pictures show leading Birmingham BASE jumper Justin Otpadara tackling the iconic Saltley gas towers that nestle next to the M6 motorway and are earmarked for demolition.

The images have stunned owners National Grid, who are now beefing up security at the site.

Not surprisingly, Justin, from Selly Oak, was guarded about his ‘hobby’ when we tracked him down.

The 31-year-old Lithuanian’s surname is apt and is unlikely to have appeared on his birth certificate.

“National Grid is very concerned that anyone wants to BASE jump from the gas holders at Washwood Heath, “ she said.

“We were approached recently by a BASE jumper asking permission to use the site – and we refused. We would not give permission for anyone to jump from any of our holders.

“Anyone entering our sites without permission is trespassing and appropriate action will be taken against them if caught.

“The Washwood Heath gas holders have been decommissioned and the site is now treated as a construction site.

“It is not a playground. There are dangers and we would not encourage anyone to go onto the site. Our own staff wear full PPE – personal protective equipment – and have a health and safety induction when working there.”

Justin wears a parachute, admittedly one costing more than £2,000. But it is a risky business – and one that can fall foul of the law.

A West Midlands Police spokeswoman confirmed: “BASE jumping isn’t illegal, but there are associated offences involved, such as trespass.”

The first BASE jump captured on film took place 37 years ago from vertical rock El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

Essentially, it is parachuting or wingsuit flying from a fixed structure or cliff.

The pursuit’s popularity has been swelled by a number of box office blockbusters.

BASE jumping has proved particularly popular in Bond movies, the stunts playing key roles in A View To A Kill, The Living Daylights and Die Another Day.

It has also made an appearance in Vin Diesel film xXx and Batman Begins.

The current Guinness World Record holders are Australians Glenn Singleman and Heather Swan, with a leap of 21,667 feet from India’s Meru Peak.

Behind the thrills is an inherent risk, however.

According to latest available figures, BASE jumping has an overall fatality rate of one in 60 participants.

The death and injury rate is a staggering 43 times higher than parachuting from a plane.

One member of the underground sport explained the simple rules of survival.

“Anyone who wants to jump for a long time and not get injured must be level-headed,” he said.

“They need to be cautious, too – cautious in how they approach each jump.”

Cliffs present the greatest danger, he added.

“Parachutes have got nothing built into them that makes them open in a straight line. If you pack them well, and you’ve got a good body position, and you jump in the right wind conditions, they will most probably open straight on.”

Last year two BASE jumpers made national headlines by calmly walking into a bar on the 48th floor of London’s Canary Wharf then jumping off the balcony, signalling their departure with a cheery “See you later, guys.”

The pair later admitted: “This jump is something that we’ve been planning for a good few years now. The wind speed was a bit too high so we were just waiting for it to pass.

“When last orders was called, we checked the wind speed again and luckily it was safe so that was our moment to jump.

“It was an incredibly ballsy way to do it. Striding across the bar, and the bar staff just didn’t spot us.

“Now, I just have a huge sense of accomplishment having succeeded in jumping off such an iconic building in London.”